2020 Chateau Barthes Bandol Rouge

Made from 50+ year-old vines with about 85 % Mourvèdre together with 10 % Grenache and a dash of Syrah. It is the Mourvèdre here which gives the wine backbone with the late ripening Syrah adding freshness and structure enabling the wine to age effortlessly for a decade or more. The vineyards of Chateau Barthès surround not only the hillsides of Le Beausset but also around the slopes and the villages which are north and north-east facing high above the port town of Bandol. These are among the highest vineyards in the appellation which face due north and north east. It is these much higher and cooler sites where the vineyards have a base of limestone contributing outstanding freshness and structure.